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US News

Bear shocks Florida beachgoers by swimming out of the ocean

By
Snejana Farberov
Published June 12, 2023
Updated June 12, 2023, 2:11 p.m. ET

It must have been an un-bear-ably hot day in Florida.

Beachgoers in Destin were treated to the jaw-dropping sight of a black bear cub splashing in the surf to cool off Sunday, when midday temperatures were in the 80s.

Social media lit up with videos showing the grizzly holidaymaker enjoying a dip in the Gulf of Mexico’s refreshing blue waters, before emerging onto a crowded beach.

People swimming in Destin, Florida, were stunned to encounter a young black bear swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.
People swimming in Destin, Florida, were stunned to encounter a young black bear swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Twitter/@cbcpa79

In one clip showing the furry youngster skillfully swimming in the ocean, a woman witnessing the bewildering scene quips off camera: “I guess he’s on vacation, too!”   

Eventually, the cub makes his way closer to the shore and is seen gamboling in knee-deep water among human beachgoers.

“It’s a bear!” some people are heard exclaiming in shock.

Eyewitness Chris Barron, who shared one of the viral videos documenting the forest critter’s beach adventure, tweeted: “A bear just swam from way out in the ocean to shore in Destin. Insane.”

Jennifer Majors Smith also shared several recordings of the wild encounter on Facebook, writing: “Never have I ever….seen a black bear swim up out of the Gulf Coast and onto the beach (and I’m from Pensacola).”

Smith, who now lives in Nashville and was on vacation in the Florida Panhandle with her family, told Al.com that at first, no one on shore could tell what was going on in the ocean.

“A man was yelling out ‘Bear!’ You would expect ‘Shark’ or ‘Dolphin’ but not ‘Bear.’ It came out of the Gulf and look tired but relieved,” she recounted. “We were all shocked by and amazed to see what we saw. We were all glad to see him safe from the water.”

Florida beachgoers
Videos showed the bear enjoying a dip in the Gulf of Mexico’s waters, before emerging onto a crowded beach.

Having had his fill of the Florida beach scene, the young bear made a beeline for nearby sand dunes, where he vanished from view near a condominium.

Chris Kirby, a charter boat captain, told Al.com that it’s not uncommon for bears to swim in the Gulf — something he said he has seen multiple times.

“There are a lot of bears at Eglin Air Force Base. They swim across the bay. Sometimes they go for a joy swim,” he said. “Everybody’s just got cellphones now and they get pictures.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates that there are more than 4,000 black bears in Florida.